1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to combs, specifically to a comb for precision haircutting.
2. Prior Art
The usual technique for cutting hair involves five small steps: (a) comb out and lift a small tuft of hair with a comb; (b) hold the hair under the comb between two outstretched fingers; (c) measure the cutting length by pulling the fingers a predetermined distance from the scalp; (d) remove the comb; and (e) using the fingers as a straight edge and guide, cut the hair above the fingers.
The most difficult part of this seemingly simple procedure is measuring the cutting length with accuracy and consistency. This problem is further complicated by the fact that a typical hairstyle requires cutting the hair on different areas of the scalp at different lengths. Also hair in some areas, such as the sides of the head and the nape of the neck, require tapered cuts. Therefore the quality of a haircut depends entirely on the skill of the barber or hairstylist.
Special combs have been designed to aid the measuring step by mechanically spacing the comb from the scalp, so that the hair is precisely cut at the desired length. U.S. Pat. No. 2,556,805 (1951) to Forward shows a long handle with a rectangular frame at its distal end (as seen from the front).
After a comb extending from the top of the frame lifts hair from a scalp, the bottom member of the frame is rested on the scalp, so that a clipper is used to cut the hair. However, accurate positioning of the comb is difficult, because the straight bottom member of the frame cannot be stably rested on a curved skull. Furthermore, the long handle makes it awkward to maneuver.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,031 to Quinones et al. (1989) shows a U-shaped member which clips onto the spine of a conventional comb. The connected bottom end of the member rests against the scalp to space the comb from it. The comb extends substantially from either side of the much narrower member, so that it is awkward to handle. In addition, the connected bottom end of the member is straight, so that like Forward's device, it also cannot be stably rested on a curved skull.
Published French patent application 2-666-207 to Arraitz (1990) shows a vertically positioned comb whose ends are guided in the grooves of a shoe, which holds and guides an electric clipper. The shape of the shoe determines the angle of the cut, which can range from straight to sharply tapered. As the comb is lifted by the clipper, it lifts and pulls the hair taut at a set distance for the clipper to cut. However, the comb must stay very close to the scalp to catch the hair, so that this device can only be used for cutting hair at very short lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,418 to Vaccaro (1992) shows a comb with several flat plates extending orthogonally from the teeth of the comb for spacing it from the scalp. The plates are all of the same size, and are spaced close together. Because a skull is curved, only two of the closely spaced plates will be resting on it at any moment. As a result, the comb can be easily rocked along its length, so that keeping it stable and parallel to the scalp for an even cut will be very difficult.
In conclusion, none of these devices can reliably space a comb from the scalp. Some can be inadvertently positioned with one end closer than the other, so that an uneven cut will result. None cannot be adjusted for spacing the comb at different distances for longer or shorter haircuts. Most can only space the comb parallel to the scalp, albeit unreliably, so that they cannot be used for guiding tapered cuts.